Layered collagen materials and methods of making the same

The content of the electronically submitted sequence listing (Name 4431_0230001_SL_ST25.txt; Size: 11,054 bytes; and Date of Creation: Dec. 9, 2019) is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety.

This disclosure relates to layered materials with one or more layers including collagen. The layered materials can have the look, feel, and aesthetic and/or mechanical properties similar to natural leather, and can be used to make goods and articles previously prepared from natural leather.

Leather is a versatile product used across many industries, including the furniture industry, where leather is regularly used as upholstery, the clothing industry, where leather is used to manufacture pants and jackets, the shoe industry, where leather is used to prepare casual and dress shoes, the luggage industry, the handbag and accessory industry, and in the automotive industry. The global trade value for leather is high, and there is a continuing and increasing demand for leather products. However, there are variety of costs, constraints, and social concerns associated with producing natural leather. Foremost, natural leathers are produced from animal skins, and as such, requires raising and slaughtering livestock. Raising livestock requires enormous amounts of feed, pastureland, water, and fossil fuels and contributes to air and waterway pollution, through, for example, greenhouse gases like methane. Leather production also raises social concerns related to the treatment of animals. In recent years, there has also been a fairly well documented decrease in the availability of traditional high quality hides. For at least these reasons, alternative means to meet the demand for leather are desirable.

The present disclosure provides layered composite materials comprising collagen suitable for use as a replacement for natural leather.

A first embodiment (1) of the present disclosure is directed to a layered collagen material including a substrate layer and a collagen/polymer matrix layer attached to a surface of the substrate layer.

In a second embodiment (2), the collagen/polymer matrix layer of the first embodiment (1) includes collagen dissolved within a polymeric matrix material.

In a third embodiment (3), the collagen/polymer matrix layer of the first embodiment (1) or the second embodiment (2) is transparent.

In a fourth embodiment (4), the collagen of any of embodiments (1)-(3) is natural collagen, recombinant collagen, or a combination thereof.

In a fifth embodiment (5), the layered collagen material of any of embodiments (1)-(4) further includes a second collagen/polymer matrix layer disposed between the collagen/polymer matrix layer and the substrate layer.

In a sixth embodiment (6), the layered collagen material of embodiment (5) includes the collagen/polymer matrix layer having a first density and the second collagen/polymer matrix layer having a second density, where the first density is greater than the second density.

In a seventh embodiment (7), the layered collagen material of the fifth embodiment (5) or the sixth embodiment (6) includes the collagen/polymer matrix layer having a first dry weight and the second collagen/polymer matrix layer having a second dry weight, where the first dry weight is less than the second dry weight.

In an eighth embodiment (8), the second collagen/polymer matrix layer of any of embodiments (5)-(7) includes a foam stabilizer.

In a ninth embodiment (9), the layered collagen material of any of embodiments (5)-(8) further includes a third collagen/polymer matrix layer disposed between the second collagen/polymer matrix layer and the substrate layer.

In a tenth embodiment (10), layered collagen material of the ninth embodiment (9) includes the collagen/polymer matrix layer having a first density, the second collagen/polymer matrix layer having a second density, and the third collagen/polymer matrix layer having a third density, where the first density is greater than the second density and the third density.

In an eleventh embodiment (11), the layered collagen material of the ninth embodiment (9) or the tenth embodiment (10) includes the collagen/polymer matrix layer having a first dry weight, the second collagen/polymer matrix layer having a second dry weight, and the third collagen/polymer matrix layer having a third dry weight, where the first dry weight is less than the second dry weight and the third dry weight.

In a twelfth embodiment (12), the third collagen/polymer matrix layer of any of embodiments (9)-(11) includes a foam stabilizer.

In a thirteenth embodiment (13), the collagen/polymer matrix layer of any of embodiments (1)-(12) includes a polyurethane, a polyacrylate, an acrylic acid copolymer, a polyacrylamide, a polyethylene oxide, a polyvinyl alcohol, or a combination thereof.

In a fourteenth embodiment (14), the collagen/polymer matrix layer of any of embodiments (1)-(13) includes a polyurethane.

In a fifteenth embodiment (15), the polyurethane of the fourteenth embodiment (14) is bio-polyurethane.

In a sixteenth embodiment (16), the polyurethane of the fourteenth embodiment (14) is a water-soluble polyurethane.

In a seventeenth embodiment (17), the collagen/polymer matrix layer of any of embodiments (1)-16) includes a fatliquor.

In an eighteenth embodiment (18), the collagen/polymer matrix layer of any of embodiments (1)-(17) includes a coloring agent.

In a nineteenth embodiment (19), the coloring agent of the eighteenth embodiment (18) is a dye.

In a twentieth embodiment (20), the collagen/polymer matrix layer according to any of embodiments (1)-(19) is tanned.

In a twenty-first embodiment (21), the substrate layer of any of embodiments (1)-(20) includes a textile layer.

In a twenty-second embodiment (22), the textile layer of the twenty-first embodiment (21) includes at least one of: a woven textile layer, non-woven textile layer, or a knit textile layer.

In a twenty-third embodiment (23), the layered collagen material of any of embodiments (1)-(22) further includes a basecoat layer disposed over a surface of the collagen/polymer matrix layer opposite the substrate layer.

In a twenty-fourth embodiment (24), the layered collagen material of the twenty-third embodiment (23) further includes a top-coat layer disposed over a surface of the basecoat layer opposite the collagen/polymer matrix layer.

A twenty-fifth embodiment (25) of the present disclosure is directed to a method of making a layered collagen material, the method including blending a polymer dispersed in a solvent with collagen to form a blended mixture in the solvent, disposing a layer of the blended mixture in the solvent over a surface of a sacrificial layer, removing the solvent from the blended mixture to form a collagen/polymer matrix layer, and attaching the collagen/polymer matrix layer to a substrate layer.

In a twenty-sixth embodiment (26), the solvent of the twenty-fifth embodiment (25) includes water.

In a twenty-seventh embodiment (27), the polymer dispersed in the solvent in the twenty-fifth embodiment (25) or the twenty-sixth embodiment (26) is a water-dispersible polyurethane.

In a twenty-eighth embodiment (28), the method of any of embodiments (25)-(27) further includes removing the sacrificial layer.

In a twenty-ninth embodiment (29), the method according to the twenty-eighth embodiment (28) includes removing the sacrificial layer before attaching the collagen/polymer matrix layer to a substrate layer.

In a thirtieth embodiment (30), the method of any of embodiments (25)-(29) further includes blending and foaming a mixture of collagen and a polymer dispersed in a solvent to form a foamed blended mixture in the solvent, disposing a layer of the foamed blended mixture in the solvent over a surface of the collagen/polymer matrix layer, and removing the solvent from the foamed blended mixture to form a foamed collagen/polymer matrix layer.

In a thirty-first embodiment (31), the foamed blended mixture of the thirtieth embodiment (30) includes a foam stabilizer.

In a thirty-second embodiment (32), the foamed blended mixture of the thirtieth embodiment (30) or thirty-first embodiment (31) has a liquid density in a range of about 300 grams per liter to about 900 grams per liter before the solvent is removed from the foamed blended mixture.

In a thirty-third embodiment (33), the blended mixture of any of embodiments (30)-(32) has a liquid density before the solvent is removed from the blended mixture that is greater than the liquid density of the foamed blended mixture before the solvent is removed from the foamed blended mixture.

In a thirty-fourth embodiment (34), the surface of the sacrificial layer of any of embodiments (25)-(33) includes a rough surface.

In a thirty-fifth embodiment (35), the collagen of any of embodiments (25)-(34) is natural collagen, recombinant collagen, or a combination thereof.

In a thirty-sixth embodiment (36), the substrate layer of any of embodiments (25)-(35) includes a textile layer.

In a thirty-seventh embodiment (37), attaching the collagen/polymer matrix layer to the substrate layer in any of embodiments (25)-(36) includes a heat pressing process.

In a thirty-eight embodiment (38), attaching the collagen/polymer matrix layer to the substrate layer in any of embodiments (25)-(36) includes a lamination process.

A thirty-ninth embodiment (39) of the present disclosure is directed to a method of making a layered collagen material, the method including blending a polymer dispersed in a solvent with collagen to form a blended mixture in the solvent, disposing a layer of the blended mixture in the solvent over a substrate layer, and removing the solvent from the blended mixture to form a collagen/polymer matrix layer.

In a fortieth embodiment (40), the solvent of the thirty-ninth embodiment (39) includes water.

In a forty-first embodiment (41), the polymer dispersed in the solvent in the thirty-ninth embodiment (39) or the fortieth embodiment (40) is a water-dispersible polyurethane.

In a forty-second embodiment (42), the method of any of embodiments (39)-(41) further includes disposing an adhesive layer over the substrate layer and the layer of the blended mixture in the solvent is disposed over the adhesive layer.

In a forty-third embodiment (43), the method of any of embodiments (39)-(42) further includes blending and foaming a mixture of collagen and a polymer dispersed in a solvent to form a foamed blended mixture in the solvent, disposing a layer of the foamed blended mixture in the solvent over a surface of the collagen/polymer matrix layer, and removing the solvent from the foamed blended mixture to form a foamed collagen/polymer matrix layer.

In a forty-fourth embodiment (44), the foamed blended mixture of the forty-third embodiment (43) includes a foam stabilizer.

In a forty-fifth embodiment (45), the foamed blended mixture of the forty-third embodiment (43) or the forty-fourth embodiment (44) has a liquid density in a range of about 300 grams per liter to about 900 grams per liter before the solvent is removed from the foamed blended mixture.

In a forty-sixth embodiment (46), the blended mixture according to any of embodiments (43)-(45) has a liquid density before the solvent is removed from the blended mixture that is greater than the liquid density of the foamed blended mixture before the solvent is removed from the foamed blended mixture.